''Sabrina'' (1954 film)- Review

Directed by: Billy Wilder
Released: 1954
Country: United States

Genre: Romantic comedy, Drama

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review

Sabrina, the protagonist and titular character of the film, is played by Audrey Hepburn. This was her second major film role, the film being released in the year after the great ''Roman Holiday'' was. Directed by Billy Wilder- who also happens to be one of my favorite directors- this is a charming little film, a sweet love triangle, and has extremely funny moments that evoke great laughter.

The film begins when Sabrina is still a teenager. She is the daughter of a chauffeur employed in the household of the Larrabbees, an immensely wealthy family. Linus (Humphrey Bogart) and David (William Holden) are the two sons of the elderly Mr and Mrs Larrabee. Linus is serious, hardworking and workaholic, while David is careless and carefree, having already married and divorced thrice. Sabrina has been infatuated with David since her childhood, and is heartbroken when she finds herself unnoticed, finding her feelings unrequited. Sabrina's father arranges for her to go to Paris and study cooking. Sabrina goes rather unwillingly; however, living in Paris helps her view life with more optimism. She returns several years later, now a polished and sophisticated young lady, and immediately captures David's attention. David falls in love with her, and Sabrina is delighted to find her feelings finally being returned. However, the Larabees are planning a marriage between David and the wealthy Elizabeth Tyson, an association which would be greatly helpful for the family business, and seeing David falling for Sabrina, Linus decides to somehow divert Sabrina's attention from David, but instead finds himself falling for Sabrina, while she, in spite of herself, also finds that she is drawn to Linus.

I really admired the film. I liked the way it remains an interesting love triangle without becoming sappy. Audrey Hepburn's performance is full of emotional depth. At the beginning of the film she is an innocent, immature teenager who feels devastated when her love is unrequited, but when she is older, the character is more mature, more understanding, and though still in love and delighted when David returns her feelings, does not let love fully drive her. Humphrey Bogart, playing a serious middle-aged man who has never fallen in love before, makes the character of Linus believable and interesting. William Holden's character, David, is rather very carefree and careless and so has slightly less depth than the other two major characters. But still, all three of them deliver performances that leave us impressed. The supporting characters are impressive as well. I specially admired the performances by John Williams, who plays Sabrina's father, a person who is deeply concerned observing how his daughter is deeply in love with his employer, and Walter Hampden, who plays David and Linus's elderly father and brings a lot of comic relief in the film! Trust me, Hampden's performance is wonderful!

Besides romance, there is a lot of humor in the film as well. There were quite a few scenes that made me laugh out loud! They really did! While the overall film has a significant amount of emotional depth, the comic reliefs and funny scenes actually make us laugh out loud! The screenplay is excellent, perfectly balancing the tone of the film, making it emotionally deep but at times lighthearted as well.

I know I probably write this thing in every single Billy Wilder film I review but I must write it here as well: the more I watch films by this man, the more I admire him. ''Sabrina'' is a wonderful little film with an excellent screenplay, sufficient emotional depth, humor and comic relief, and very memorable performances. 

4 out of 5
 

''The Reader'' (2008 film)- Review

Directed by: Stephen Daldry
Released: 2008
Country: United States, Germany

Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Lena Olin

Genre: Romantic, drama

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review

I was fifteen. I was coming home from school. I was feeling ill. And a woman helped me. 

These are the very last words spoken by the male protagonist, Michael, in the film. And this is how the events of the film actually initiate. In a narrative that shifts between decades, the story initiates in 1958, when a 15-year-old boy, Michael, feels sick when he is coming back home from school. Hanna, then a woman in her mid-thirties, helps him go back to his home. After spending several months in bed, recovering from scarlet fever, Michael goes to Hanna's small apartment, meaning to thank her. However, he soon becomes smitten by Hanna, falling in love with her, and the two of them, in spite of their huge age gap, start an affair. Hanna loves it when Michael reads to her, and again and again, shown through several touching scenes, Michael reads to her. Months pass in this way, but when Hanna is promoted in her job, she leaves without telling Michael.

Several years later, Michael, now studying law at Heidelberg, attends court sessions as part of a seminar. He has to observe a case in which six former female guards at Auschwitz- one of the the most notorious Nazi concentration camps- are being tried. They have been convicted after the recent publication of a book by a Holocaust survivor, where the author linked some deadly incidents with these six guards. Michael is shocked to learn that one of these six guards is none but Hanna herself. He is horrified to learn that Hanna once worked for the SS. Charges have been brought against her, but very soon, Michael learns that Hanna has been protecting a secret- a secret of which she is deeply ashamed- but a secret which might help reduce her sentence and punishment. 

Kate Winslet and David Kross, with their pitch-perfect performances, make the chemistry between Michael and Hanna strong and powerful. I thought David Kross was the one who delivered the most powerful performance in this film, among the three major actors. Just observe his expressions: a teenager smitten by a woman way older than he is yet genuinely in love, or the way he expresses his pain when an angry Hanna tells her that he is not important enough for her, or the scene when he breaks into tears in the court, his horror and shock knowing what Hanna has done, yet his love for her- a powerful feeling that has stood the test of time and continued to exist- is still as strong as it was.

Kate Winslet was excellent as well. She makes the character of Hanna so realistic with her powerful performance. I really admired Winslet's performance in the prison scenes. I won't describe it in detail as I won't like to include spoilers, but yes, her performance in those scenes was simply excellent. Ralph Fiennes, as the older Michael, makes the character more complete, more realistic. All three of them, Winslet, Kross and Fiennes, deliver excellent performances.

I am not sure if I really loved this film. I was deeply moved, yes. The film touched me: it was an emotional journey, almost an emotional roller-coaster. But the subject matter itself is so problematic, and so is the character of Hanna. Hanna has done such things in the past that are impossible to be forgotten and forgiven. Once you think deeply and analyze the character, its quite impossible to fully sympathize with the character. But at the end of the day, ''The Reader'' is a film about two people, two people who love each other and one of them going to many lengths to keep the other happy in the face of adversities- and the way he does it, and about how a teenage love- perhaps a strong teenage infatuation- survived the test of time. A deeply moving and emotionally intense film, at the end of the day.

4 out of 5

''Persona'' (1966 film)- Review

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Released: 1966
Country: Sweden

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Rating: 5 out of 5

Review

''Persona'' tells the story of two women, Elisabet, played by Liv Ullman, and Alma, played by Bibi Andersson. Elisabet, a famous actress, has suddenly stopped talking, and is being treated at a hospital. Alma, a nurse, has been assigned to take care of Elisabet. When Elisabet continues her silence, the doctor, a middle-aged woman, decides to send Elisabet- along with Alma- to her own seaside summer home, hoping that a change of atmosphere would help Elisabet recover. Following the doctor's instructions, Elisabet and Alma go to the summer home, and the two form a close bond. They spend cheerful days together, reading, writing, and playing, and while Elisabet seems happy, she does not talk. Alma, however, cheerily confides in Elisabet, talking continuously about this and that, and Elisabet looks happy to listen to her.

So the first few days seem normal and cheerful. However, as the two women spend days after days with each other, separated from the rest of the world, strange things seem to happen. Alma feels as if Elisabet's personality, her identity is suddenly emerging into her own, she often starts imagining herself as Elisabet. It sometimes seems as if Elisabet's identity is imposing itself on Alma's personality.

It is hard to explain this film using a few words. Yes, it is hard. While the first thirty minutes or so seem simple, the film eventually goes on to become complex and dreamy. There comes a point at which we are no longer sure of what is happening, if the things that we are seeing are actually happening or if they are part of a dream, or merely a hallucination. It is hard to get over a particular dream sequence, where Alma is sleeping and Elisabet walks into her room and then Alma wakes up and stands up, with Elisabet standing behind her. It is such a hauntingly impressive sequence, certainly one of the most memorable sequences from the film, if not the most. There are several other sequences that are just as haunting- yes, haunting is actually the right word to explain them- because at a point we seem to lose track of everything that is happening, we do not know where the film will lead us to, we do not know what conclusion we will come to. We do not even know if the scenes that we are being shown are actually happening or not.

All these being said, ''Persona'' is a complex yet beautiful cinematic achievement. All these dream sequences, the monologues, the cinematography- these are so impressive and memorable. Bibi Andersson's performance is simply perfect, while Liv Ullman is very impressive as well. There is a scene in which Alma is talking and then we see half of Elisabet's face imposing itself on Alma's face. So the face we are see in that scene is actually partly Alma's and partly Elisabet's. This is done so impeccably and impressively. Sure, this is a film that can interpreted in many ways, but it is also a film that I would recommend to everybody. And here is a piece of advice: don't try to interpret or figure things out while watching the film. This is a film whose every single second should be observed and admired. You will feel the urge to figure things out or interpret what story the film is actually trying to convey or develop your own theories, but do that after you have finished watching the film.

5 out of 5 

''Happy-Go-Lucky'' (2008 film)- Review

Directed by: Mike Leigh
Released: 2008
Country: United Kingdom

Genre: Comedy-drama

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review

''Happy-Go-Lucky'' is the story of Poppy Cross, played by Sally Hawkins, a cheerful 30-year-old schoolteacher who stays happy and cheerful no matter what happens. She keeps her spirits up, for example, even when her bicycle is stolen, or when a bookstore employee rudely ignores her. The film explores Poppy's life: her friendship with Zoe, a fellow schoolteacher and her housemate, her cheerful demeanor with her students, her relationship with her family, her Flamenco lessons. She takes driving lessons from a driving instructor, Scott, played by Eddie Marsan, who is grim and often rude, and disapproves of Poppy's ever-cheerful spirits. This forms an integral part of the story. No matter how much Poppy tries, she is never able to develop a normal friendship with Scott.

''Happy-Go-Lucky'' is like a drop of sunshine: a cheerful little film that has its ups and downs. Sure, there are serious- very serious moments- but overall, this is a film that will often make you smile. 

I greatly admire Mike Leigh's works. His 1996 film ''Secrets & Lies'' remains one of my favorite films ever. I think the greatest strength of his works is the way he takes his time to develop his characters and the situation. He makes us deeply attached to the characters but when happens smoothly, steadily over the course of the film. This is what he does, showing us glimpses from their everyday lives, he makes it possible for us to appreciate his characters.

Poppy, for example, is a person who is happy and wants to makes others happy. The other main character, Scott, is just the opposite: pessimistic, rude, and grim. The film is not monotonous at all. In spite of the film showing us just the ordinary things that our characters do in their everyday lives, it works really well and has a charm of its own, which works really well since over the course of the film everything is developed wonderfully- the characters, the plot, everything. Every moment of it is enjoyable, and of course, there is a climax- an unexpected climax- that contains very intense, realistic performances by both Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marsan. All the character and plot development throughout the film culminates in a climax that is pretty intense and touching. The screenplay is great and Mike Leigh gives us a film that leaves us impressed. 

''Before Sunset'' (2004 film)- Review

Directed by: Richard Linklater
Released: 2004
Country: United States

Genre: Romantic drama

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review

Having loved, loved, loved ''Before Sunrise'', I was eager to check out the sequel Before Sunset. I watched the sequel yesterday, and needless to say, I loved it.

The film is set nine years after the events of Before Sunrise. Jesse, played by Ethan Hawke, has written a book inspired by the night that he had spent with Celine all those years ago. He is in Paris on a promotional tour for his book. There, he comes across Celine. It is then revealed that they had not actually meet as they had planned at the end of the first film. Though Jesse had come to Vienna, Celine could not come because of the sudden death of her grandmother. They walk through the streets of Paris, visiting  a cafe, riding a boat, reminiscing about the wonderful time that they had spent together all those years back and with the the passage of time, their feelings are rekindled, more details about their lives come into light. 

I loved the performances of both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. I found them as perfect as they were in the predecessor. The two of them deliver marvelous performances, making the chemistry between Jesse and Celine beautiful, sweet and touching. I loved these two characters, the way they express their feelings. The perfect performances of these two actors make the two characters so beautifully fleshed out, so easy to appreciate and love. This is what I think is most necessary to make a love story a perfect one. To develop characters whom we can admire and love. The screenplay by Linklater, Hawke and Delpy is perfect, just perfect. The way these two characters converse, reminisce, share their feelings is excellently portrayed. Also to be mentioned is the lovely, touching song that Celine sings near the end of the film.

''Before Sunset'' is as gentle, simple and lyrical as its predecessor. There is beauty in it, a simple beauty which is what makes it such a sophisticated, lovely romance that is impossible not to fall in love with it. And here are two characters whom we fell in love with in the predecessor. I loved seeing the two of them again. The entire movie feels so real, so  perfect.

4.5 out of 5

''The Passion of Joan of Arc'' (1927 film)- Review

Directed by: Carl Theodor Dreyer 
Released: 1928
Country: France

Genre: Historical drama

Rating: 5 out of 5

Review

At the very beginning of the film, one of the judges ask Joan how old she is. Her face reflecting a childlike innocent, she counts and replies that she is nineteen. That was the scene that instantly made me attached to the film, and throughout the film I kept observing each and every movement, each and every facial expression of Renee Jeanne Falconetti. This has to be one of the most profoundly breathtaking performances I have personally ever come across. Her facial expressions and reactions express her sorrows, her fears, her shock, her discovery when she comes across the form of cruelty she had never known existed. This is definitely a heart wrenching film to sit through, and add Falconetti's strong performance (read: one of the strongest performances ever), ''The Passion of Joan of Arc'' is a unforgettable gem.

The story is simple: the trial of Joan of Arc and her subsequent execution. But each and every minute of the film is utilized well as we come to learn of the horrors that were inflicted on the brave Joan of Arc. A brave young woman who had wanted to save her country, she was burnt at stake, accused of heresy. Over the passage of time the film gets more and and more intense, and we keep looking at Falconetti's face, her pained face reflecting her woes. 

''The Passion of Joan of Arc'' symbolizes how humanity has been over the course of history deteriorated and crumbled, how cruelty has been inflicted on people as innocent and brave as Joan of Arc. And I am sure without Falconetti's performance, the film would not have been as iconic and great as it is. She graces the scenes of the film with her presence, her astonishingly perfect performance, her face and expressions showing her woes and pain, her tears sometimes even managing to bring tears to our eyes. 

5 out of 5 

''Double Indemnity'' (1944 film)- Review

Directed by: Billy Wilder
Released: 1944
Country: United States

Cast: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather

Genre: Film-noir, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Drama

Rating: 5 out of 5


Review

''Double Indemnity'' works in an atmospheric way and it works greatly. Here you have a voluptuous female lead and a male lead influenced by passion: two people it's hard to sympathize with, let alone admire. It is a film noir with a well-crafted screenplay and two powerful performances.

The entire film is shown in a flashback- the male protagonist, Walter Neff, an insurance salesman  played by Fred MacMurray- confesses about a murder that he has committed over a Dictaphone, planning to leave the confession for his colleague, Barton Kayes. He recounts how he first met Phyllis Dietrichson, played by Stanwyck. He had gone to visit Phyllis's husband, Tom, about some insurance related matters. However, Tom was not home, and he was welcomed by Phyllis, whose beauty and charm immediately impressed him. Phyllis told him that she wanted to start an accident policy for her husband- if her husband died by an accident, she would receive a sizeable amount of money. However, Neff was disgusted, thinking that Phyllis was trying to kill her husband for money. Phyllis did not deny it, and told Walter how she was being neglected and ignored by Tom, a man many years her senior. Smitten by Phyllis, Walter then decided to help her with the murder of Tom. And they did successfully accomplish the murder. However, back in the insurance office, Kayes was hesitating: he was sure that something was wrong with the case, that there was something fishy, and Kayes had set about to solve the case...



The atmosphere is definitely tense and thrilling. I loved ''Double Indemnity''. In the second half of the film, there is plenty of suspense as we start to observe Kayes' ingenious method of trying to figure the mystery out, as it would mean all the secrets and plans of Walter and Phyllis to be revealed. I don't know if I ever felt sympathy for Walter. If I did, I felt it at the very end of the film. As for Phyllis, oh well, I can't really comment on her character as that would mean revealing a lot. But nevertheless, here is a character it would be hard for anybody to forget, partly because of the character development and the climax, and partly because of Stanwyck's impeccable performance. So far, of the few Billy Wilder films that I have watched, all of them have managed to win my heart. This one was no exception.